The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen by Hermias Sozomen

Sozomen appears also to have consulted the the works of Athanasius, Rufinus, Sabinus ond Olympiodorus of Thebes as well as other authorities. The Vita Constantini of Eusebius is expressly cited in the description of the vision of Constantine. He used the writings of Eusebius, the first major Church historian.

He went back to the principal sources used by Socrates and other sources, often including more from them than Socrates did. In some matters, such as in regard to the Novatians, Sozomen is entirely dependent on Socrates.īut Sozomen did not simply copy Socrates. Sozomen used the work of Socrates as a guide to sources and order. The extent of this dependence cannot be accurately determined. The literary relationship of these writers appears everywhere. The source for about three-fourths of his material was the writings of Socrates Scholasticus. He dedicated this work to Emperor Theododosius the Younger. He wrote it in Constantinople, somewhere around the years 440-443. The period actually covered in his work ends at 425. He planned to continue the history of Eusebius, covering the period between 323 and 439. Sozomen's second and longer work was a continuation of the first. His first work covered the history of the Church, from the Ascension of Jesus Christ to the defeat of Licinius in 323, in twelve books. Sozomen wrote two works on church history. While thus engaged he conceived the project of writing a history of the Church. He studied law in Beirut and then went to Constantinople to start his career as a lawyer. It is impossible to ascertain what curriculum he followed in these monastic schools, but his writings give clear evidence of the thoroughness with which he was grounded in Greek studies.Īs an adult he acquired training as a lawyer. His early education was directed by the monks in his native place.

Sozomen seems to have been brought up in the circle of Alaphrion and acknowledges a debt of gratitude to the monastic order. Despite this, the family remained faithful, and Sozomen thus enjoyed the advantage of being trained in a Christian household. At one point, they even had to flee to safety from the persecution for a period of time.

His grandfather persisted at scriptural interpretation even in the time of persecution. During his childhood, the family experienced many years of persecution under Julian. Sozomen was born around or before 400 in Bethelia, a small town near Gaza, from a wealthy Christian family of Palestine.

The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen by Hermias Sozomen